healthy living and longevity
in costa rica
Al Benner claims he feels better
the day he arrives in Costa Rica. His sinuses clear
up and he has more energy.
None of us are going to debate
whether Al actually feels better or not, or if he
just enjoys being back in Costa Rica, but we all
agree that the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast
of Costa Rica appears more healthy than many places
in the US. There are always fresh breezes
coming off the mountains from the North or Pacific
Ocean, people are calm and friendly (even the
gringos), the food is fresh and there isn't any
traffic unless you are counting sea turtle traffic
jams on the beach during the
annual nesting of olive ridley.
Perhaps most importantly, physical activity is a way of life
in the Nicoyan Peninsula.
Take
Don Modesto, the rancher we purchased our Finca from
last year. He is in his 70s, but he appears as fit
as an athletic man in his 20s. He walks or rides his
horse almost everywhere and those of us who have
walked the Finca Las Brisas with him have had a hard
time keeping up.
This picture of him was taken
recently when we held a fund raiser fiesta for the
three to ten student school house next to our finca.
After he sold us his finca he
built a new house way up the mountain next to
Zaragoza. He rode the 10 or more kilometers down a
very steep grade to come to the fiesta and we don't
think he viewed that as much of an effort.
In fact of the 100+ people who
attended the fiesta, maybe 5 drove cars. Everyone
else walked or rode for miles in some pretty rough
terrain.
Of
the 40 or so men there we don't remember seeing a single
one that was carrying some extra weight - except for a
couple of us gringos.
When we visit the falls and river
in our valley we call it a hike, or an outing, a day
trip, or an adventure. The ticos in the area call it
a visit. Most of them could easily out hike the
average gym rat.
You don't need to compare to
American longevity figures or get out your longevity
calculator to know these factors will contribute to
a longer and healthier life.
All of us that have been part of
Finca Las Brisas would agree that when we are there
we are far more active, we are more relaxed, we eat
better (except maybe for an extra beer or two consumed
each each day), the food tastes better, we spend
most of our time outside in the sun and fresh air,
and we spend more time enjoying the environment and
the people around us.
Apparently, we are not the only
ones who think this part of Costa Rica is a healthy
place to live. This month ABC ran a report by Dan
Buettner who has been traveling the world searching
for places where people live the longest.
"Buettner labels Nicoya (Nicoyan
Peninsula, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica) a
'blue zone,' a place where many factors combine to
allow people to live longer and better."
Click here to read this ABC report.
Click to view these are amazing
videos from the interviews of people in Nicoya
conducted by Quest Network, Inc.
Click For Kids: This is are some great videos for
kids on longevity in Nicoya.
